1. Field of the Invention
The present inventive concept relates to devices for delivering solid and/or pourable substances, such as powders and liquids. More particularly, the present inventive concept relates to a multi-compartment container for delivering edible and non-edible substances, and methods for making and using same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sachets are known in the art for containing a liquid, powder, cream, paste, or other material. Typically a sachet comprises a small, single-use flexible container that is relatively flat in cross section. When sachets become large and bulky, such as a potato chip bag, they are often called pouches. Sachets are typically constructed by folding a flexible strip of material longitudinally and sealing all but one of the edges, which is then sealed after filling the sachet's inner space with a substance to be dispensed. The resulting formed pockets can then be separated, completing the sachet proper. Each sachet typically contains a predetermined aliquot of the substance to be consumed or otherwise utilized. Sachets may contain tear notches, perforations, or nicks, advantageously placed such that when torn through, allow partially controlled access to the contents therein.
Sachets and pouches can be constructed from a variety of different materials, or films. Materials may include a paper product, plastic, metalized plastic, aluminum foil, or more complex films containing up to five or six layers of these.
Sachets are ubiquitous in many industries, including the food and beverage, personal hygiene, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, medical, confectionary, as well as the travel and hospitality industries. They can contain single-use, dispensable quantities of edible substances, as well as non-consumable substances commonly for personal use. The contents found in sachets typically fall into two categories, including solid substances such as powders, pills, and granules, and flowable substances, such as gels, solutions, and dispersions. Solid substances are generally pourable such that gravity alone is required to extract the contents from an opened sachet. Flowable substances are variably pourable, and their extraction may require additional digital compression by the fingers of the operating hand, dependent on the viscosity of the substance in question. Alternatively, extraction with assistance of a small utensil may be envisioned. Occasionally, other items may be found in conventional sachets, such as tablets or capsules, towelettes, applicator pads, and prophylactic devices. Larger pouches are equally as common and have found wide acceptance in food packaging, containing salty snack items, candy, nuts, dried fruit, and the like.
It is very common to encounter a situation in which it may be desirous to use several substances from various sachets in concurrent or consecutive fashion. Additionally, there are instances in which it is advantageous to utilize two aliquots of a single substance in a sequential manner, keeping the second aliquot sealed until immediately prior to consumption. It would therefore be particularly helpful to have a dual-chamber sachet that would facilitate combined or sequential access of contents. Such examples might be the simultaneous application of ketchup and mustard to a hamburger, or the sequential application of shampoo and conditioner to ones hair. In addition to pairing of complementary substances for consumption during one activity, such as eating or bathing, it would be advantageous to have a container that would be appropriate for the inclusion of a flowable substance in one chamber of the dual-chambered container, and a solid substance in the other chamber.
It is also realized that in certain circumstances, though while using two substances together for a single activity, it is necessary to keep the substances segregated until immediately prior to use. Such examples are when one is mixing together two ingredients to activate a solution, as in epoxy adhesives and hair coloring agents. In these circumstances it would be especially beneficial if the dual-chambered sachet dispensing regions were on opposite sides of the package in order to prevent inadvertent early mixing of ingredients.
A useful application of a flowable and a solid substance combination would be the inclusion of both cream and sugar in a single container, provided as an appurtenance for coffee shops and “on the go” type coffee establishments. A single container, containing the most commonly employed coffee customizing substances, would simplify the addition of these condiments to hot coffee. Currently, coffee shops typically contain coffee customizing stations, housing coffee accoutrements and other additives. These stations become crowded during busy operating hours, and frequently customers find themselves waiting in a second line to customize their coffee after standing in line for the original coffee purchase. Coffee customizing areas quickly become unsightly and unsanitary, and require routine cleaning and restocking by employees. The possibility of contamination of the ingestible substances at these stations exists. Additionally, customers obtaining their coffee at drive through establishments currently face the undesirable option of allowing the employees of said establishment to customize their coffee for them, which may result in errors, and therefore dissatisfaction with the taste of the coffee. It also slows down the processing of customer orders, increasing wait times at the drive through window thereby decreasing revenues for coffee establishments.
Coffee “on-the-go” is offered in a variety of sizes, ranging from the customary 8-oz cups up to and including a large 20-oz cup size. Currently, cream and sugar are enclosed in small, sealed thermoformed cups and conventional paper sachets, respectively. To customize one's coffee, an individual may typically need to open a plurality of the small sealed thermoformed cups of cream as well as a plurality of individual sugar sachets in order to provide the desired level of customization to taste. It is clear that it would be beneficial to provide a sachet that would be scalable in size, since it is realized from this example that while the Styrofoam cups in which on the go coffee is typically served have increased in size, the condiment containers that service coffee in these increased volumes have not increased commensurately in scale. The alacrity and simplicity that an easy-to-use, single container would provide would greatly enhance the coffee customer's satisfaction, both at the retail coffee shop, and at the drive-through window. Coffee customizing stations can be eliminated or reduced in scope and size, and customers need not wait for their turn at them as cream, sugar, and other additives can be provided at the point of sale. For customers patronizing drive-through establishments, they can be provided the freedom to individualize their own coffee as well as the ability to do so more safety while simultaneously operating a motor vehicle.